Trusted

NFT Market Shrinks in Q2 as Traders Grow Scarce

2 mins
Updated by Michael Washburn
Join our Trading Community on Telegram

In Brief

  • The NFT market is struggling with a 38% drop in trading volume from Q1 to Q2, and a 9.2% decrease in NFT sales.
  • The number of NFT traders has significantly declined, with an especially sharp drop since the beginning of 2023.
  • Bitcoin Ordinals experienced a remarkable surge in trading volume, reaching $210.7 million in Q2 with a 2834% rise for the quarter.
  • promo

The NFT market is continuing to struggle, according to figures from the latest DappRadar report. Confirming a worrying picture that is slowly beginning to crystallize. NFT trading volume dropped 38% from Q1 to Q2. NFT sales also saw a 9.2% decrease.

Trading volume refers to the total amount of currency (usually dollars) exchanged within a particular period. Sales, a more obvious metric, refers to the number of NFT purchases (or trades). Both figures together give a more accurate picture of the state of the market.

And in this case, it isn’t good. Looking at almost any metric, the NFT market still has not recovered to its pre-crash glory.

Number of NFT Traders at Unprecedented Lows

According to data from Dune, the number of unique buyers and sellers in the NFT market is down in the lower hundreds and continuing to decline.

For the last week that Dune has data on, there were 366 buyers and 441 sellers. In the last week of June 2022, there were 31,353 sellers and 28,756 buyers. A drop of epic proportions.

The collapse in traders happened suddenly over the beginning of 2023 when numbers fell by more than half within a week. By the second week of January, there were 2385 sellers and 2388 buyers.

Source: Dune

Learn about one of the most famous kinds of digital asset: NFTs Explained: What Are Non-fungible Tokens and How Do They Work?

Unique Ethereum wallets trading NFTs tell an identical story. Unsurprisingly, since Ethereum is the dominant chain for NFTs. The question remains: how long can the industry explain away sustained contraction as a cyclical phenomenon?

The new(ish) king of NFT marketplaces, Blur, also saw a slowdown this quarter, with a 34% drop in trading volume. OpenSea, which for so long was the dominant marketplace, was hit even harder, seeing its trading volume fall by over 56%.

However, even the most pessimistic observer will know that trajectories in this industry are rarely ever just “up” or “down.”

Bitcoin Ordinals One of the Few Winners

Unsurprisingly, the DappRadar report noted that Bitcoin Ordinals were among the quarter’s winners. Trading volume skyrocketed among the “Bitcoin NFTs,” going from $7.18 million in Q1 to an incredible $210.7 million in Q2. A whopping 2834% increase for the quarter.

The platform also saw a surge in all-time trades, reaching 554,215, and unique traders, totaling 150,969. 

The entrance of Bitcoin Ordinals on the scene was one of the most significant innovations on the Bitcoin network in years. The innovation was possible because of the Taproot upgrade on November 14, 2021.

However, their popularity only took off this year thanks to community buzz and excitement about the potential of so-called “Bitcoin NFTs.” By the end of May 2023, the number of ordinal inscriptions had passed ten million, with most made in the previous month.

Top crypto platforms in the US | February 2025
Uphold Uphold Explore
Coinbase Coinbase Explore
eToro eToro Explore
Moonacy Moonacy Explore
Chain GPT Chain GPT Explore
Top crypto platforms in the US | February 2025
Uphold Uphold Explore
Coinbase Coinbase Explore
eToro eToro Explore
Moonacy Moonacy Explore
Chain GPT Chain GPT Explore
Top crypto platforms in the US | February 2025
Uphold Uphold
Coinbase Coinbase
eToro eToro
Moonacy Moonacy
Chain GPT Chain GPT

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

Frame-2298.png
Josh Adams
Josh is a reporter at BeInCrypto. He first worked as a journalist over a decade ago, initially covering music before moving into politics and current affairs. Josh first owned Bitcoin in 2014 and has followed the space ever since. He is particularly interested in Web3 adoption, policy and regulation, CBDCs, privacy, and the future of the metaverse.
READ FULL BIO
Sponsored
Sponsored